Untitled

Timestamp: 21:30-22:25

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jj8vne0ca0&t=2s

My So-Called Enemy: https://mysocalledenemy.com/

Globalization, defined as the increased interconnectedness between countries and people, has brought individuals from different cultures together like never before. Differences in values, beliefs, and traditions have resulted in conflicts between many groups of people. While at times the various tensions and violent clashes around the world seem like chaos for the sake of chaos, if we work to understand them on a deeper level, we can work towards stability and peace. The textbook Intercultural Communications in Context 7th ed., written by Judith Martin and Thomas Nakayama, talks about the various ways we should work through conflict with people who may be very different than us, in order to get along. The book states, “To recognize and embrace our connectedness...we have to engage in true dialogue.” “A focus on mutual listening, instead of talking, forms the core of successful intercultural dialogue”. Through the “sharing of narratives”, we expand our perceptions and how we see the world. 

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one that has been going on for decades between the Israeli and Palestinian populations that inhabit the lands of Israel, the Gaza strip, and the West Bank. It is an immensely complex issue; both sides fight for international recognition, security, control of Jerusalem, religion, nationality, water and land rights, and a plethora of other issues. The documentary film “My So-Called Enemy”, directed by Lisa Gossels, follows a group of Palestinian and Israeli girls who, over the span of seven years, talk about their political and cultural differences while trying to find a common ground, and navigate a complex situation back home after becoming friends with their ‘enemy’. The girls take part in a women’s leadership program called Building Bridges for Peace, founded by Melodye Feldman. The film is an eye-opening look into the conflict. Even though the girls live close to one another geographically, they have never had an open dialogue with one another, nor had they interacted with one another outside the context of the conflict. They never had the chance to discover their commonalities among one another in a peaceful environment through normal interactions. But the program allowed them to understand the conflict in a different light by putting them face to face with each other, allowing them to see each other as real humans with real feelings. Inas, a Palestinian girl in the program, says, “When I see the Jewish girls as individuals, I love them and all of them are my friends. We talk every day and read together. We dance together and we see the movies together. But, when I remember that they are Jewish, I have my feelings at the same time because their people killed my father”. She has a deep personal connection to the conflict because of the death of her father, but participating in the program allowed her to understand that she cannot demonize everyone on the ‘other side’ because they are caught in the conflict just like her. 

Rezan is another girl who shows a deeper understanding of the conflict which allows her to get along with other cultures. She says, “It is not their fault that they are Israelis and it is not my fault that I am a Palestinian. The borders are setting us apart.” Sometimes the cultural divide simply seems too huge. Sometimes there are grievances perpetrated by one cultural group upon another or by one individual on another that are so brutal as to make solutions sound hollow and idealistic. (pg.501) A way for people from different cultures to get along is forgiveness, which promotes understanding and reconciliation. Although forgiveness is difficult to achieve, it is a way to move past violence and persecution in order to bring about a more peaceful future. Being able to build a relationship and forgive an ‘enemy’ is one of the most powerful tools in overcoming conflict and getting along with people who are different than yourself. 

“Misconception” (Soufena Hamed)

With over seven billion people on the planet, it is virtually impossible for every single person to get along. We are all different individuals with our own experiences and beliefs, and sometimes, those beliefs can clash with someone else’s. Understanding how conflict occurs is vital to understanding the different values and ways of communication of people from different cultures, and shows why people misunderstand each other. Conflict is not only about simple disagreements between people. Conflicts among groups are often complex and intricate; many are rooted in generational differences, deep historical influences, or political, religious, and cultural dimensions. 

Misunderstanding one another is something that everyone can relate to. It happens at school, at home, at work, and can lead to some pretty awkward situations. On a broader scale, if we look at the root cause of many of the stories that make headlines today, we would see that it was likely caused by some sort of misunderstanding. As stated in the textbook Intercultural Communication in Context, “Intercultural conflicts are often caused by differences in value orientations. For example, some people feel strongly that it is important to consider how things were done in the past. For them, history and tradition help provide guidance. Values often conflict among participants in international assistance projects in which future-oriented individuals show a lack of respect for traditional ways of doing things” (pg.95). This was studied by social psychologist Geert Hofstede. He identifies six different cultural dimensions that influence the values and behavior of the members of different cultures. This theory shows that it is important to understand the manner in which different things are viewed in different cultures. Cultural sensitivity and valuing people’s differences is crucial because people from different cultures misunderstand each other when they are raised with different cultural values. 

Another reason people from different cultures misunderstand each other is because of how the media affects one’s perception. The video A World Without Strangers, produced by Hamid Khani and Kelly Briley, interviews girls of a similar age group, but who live in different parts of the world. The video shows that there is a barrier of understanding between the girls based on where they live and what culture they belong to. After being able to have a glimpse into the lives of each of the girls that were interviewed, their biased assumptions were changed. At the end of the experiment, the girls realized that what the media showed them of each other and what was actually the truth was not always the same. One girl, Thahn, summed this up by saying, “It really brought it into this huge perspective...that we are all essentially searching for the same thing...for love and for trust and for individuality” (Briley).

Citations:

A World Without Strangers. Dir. Kelly Briley and Hamid Khani. Prod. Hamid Khani and Kelly Briley. Berkeley Media, 2007. Alexander Street Database. Web. https://search.alexanderstreet.com/preview/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cvideo_work%7C3236568

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXTS. 7th ed., MCGRAW-HILL, 2019.

One thing that makes human beings so unique is the concept of our identity; how we perceive ourselves on a personal level, how we fit ourselves into different groups, and how other people view us. But identity is not just black and white. Who we are and how others see us is constantly evolving and can change depending on where we are and who we are with. One thing that is certain is that identity plays a huge role in people’s behavior. As stated in Chapter 5 of Intercultural Communications in Context, we are constantly adjusting our image to guide the impression that others develop of us by highlighting our strengths and minimizing our deficiencies (p.167). 

Race, ethnicity, and even geography also have a huge impact on our behavior. This is why culture is so important to society; it is the way we define our values, our sense of self and community, and tells us how to behave. Consequently, the influence of culture on identity is also a cause of conflict. When different cultures live in different ways it makes it easy to judge and stereotype others. These differences have been used throughout history and even today to justify horrific actions because one group believes themselves to be superior. On the other hand there are other aspects of our identity, like gender or politics, that may cause us to act in ways that contradict our culture or the norm of where we live. For example, in the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a group of Jewish women crossed religious and cultural divides in order to help a group of Arab women exercise their right to vote. One woman said, “...women identify with other women, with not being able to vote. And we recognize the day-to-day difficulties, like lack of access or freedom of mobility. And maybe there is something very real about our thinking — this is just the right thing to do” (Prince-Gibson). 

Something that is important to consider, especially in today’s age of technology, is that when people can disregard their identity, they can greatly alter their behavior. We have all observed the power that social media has on communication. When people can hide who they are behind a screen, they feel emboldened to bully, threaten, and hurt others when they wouldn’t do so in real life. When there are no restraints or social cues, people can change who they are much more easily than in real life, because in real life race, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, and age are more visible and therefore have more of an impact on our identity and behavior.

WORK ETHIC: My work ethic is a huge part of my identity and is something that I am very proud of. I feel confident knowing that no matter what task I am given, I will always push myself to do it well. I am someone employers, coworkers, and classmates know they can rely on. 

GROWTH: Another important part of my identity is that I always want to be growing. By always trying to achieve my fullest potential, I make sure that no day goes to waste. Growth is important because it is both a reminder that I am not perfect, and a motivator to do better and be better. 

LEARNING ABOUT THE WORLD: As an international studies major, learning as much as I can about the world and people’s different perspectives, opinions, and lives is very important to me. I always try to make time for reading articles, watching documentaries and interviews, and catching myself up on what is happening in the world today.